Does starting a Division III college football program benefit the institution?

Bryan C. McCannon

Economics of Education Review, 2025, vol. 104, issue C

Abstract: I ask whether the addition of a college football team playing at the Division III level effects three dimensions to an institution’s success: enrollment, gender balance, and endowment. I consider all higher education institutions in the U.S. which compete in Division III athletics and evaluate the impact of adding college football. I find that the overall effect on undergraduate enrollment is statistically indistinguishable from zero. Further, I show that the proportion of the student body who are women falls. Finally, I are unable to provide evidence that the drawing of the endowments prior to football’s adoption slowed.

Keywords: NCAA Division III; Endowment; Enrollment; Football; Gender; Higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I23 Z20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:104:y:2025:i:c:s0272775725000019

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2025.102621

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